Saudis must release Al Nimr, Alkhalif freeze AlWefaq & expel natives

Pressure is mounting inside and outside Saudi Arabia to stop the killing of a prominent pro-democracy cleric sentenced to death earlier this month. Sheikh Nimr Al Nimr is said to be calm about the decision and is un-repentant from his call for serious political reforms.

On Tuesday 28th October, Bahrain’s dictator issued an order to freeze the activities of Al Wefaq Society for deciding to boycott the regime’s hollow elections intended to deceive the world of non-existent political reforms. The Bahrainis insist on political change and the ending of the antiquated tribal rule. The regime had used all means of pressure on the political societies to take part in those elections, and had threatened them with dissolution if they decided to implement their boycott. At the end those societies had to decide whether to stand with the people or legitimize the illegitimate regime, and they chose the first option. The immediate angry reaction even from Alkhalifa Western allies forced them to delay implementation of their decision against Al Wefaq.

The dictator also sent another message that he was adamant on pursuing the natives with eradication as part of his policy of genocide. Yesterday he ordered the expulsion of several families whose breadwinners had their nationality revoked by the dictator two years ago. The regime had summoned them earlier and asked them to find local sponsors to remain in the country of their great great grandfathers before the bloody Alkhalifa occupation. These native Bahrainis are the first batch of natives to be expelled officially following the revocation of their nationality by Alkhalifa who are intent on exacting maximum revenge from them. Amnesty International has called for quashing this decision: “Arbitrarily depriving these Bahrainis of their nationality and forcing them out of Bahrain renders them 'stateless' and goes contrary to Bahrain’s international obligations,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deput y Director. “They have already been effectively stripped of basic rights such as access to work, health care and education simply for holding dissenting views and deporting them just adds insult to injury.” She added: “The Bahraini authorities are running out of arguments to justify repression. They are now resorting to extreme measures such as jail sentences and revoking nationality to quell dissent in the country, rather than allowing people to peacefully express their views,”

In Brussels more than 30 Members of the European Parliament signed an open statement calling for the release of Nabeel Rajab: It said: “We, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament, call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Nabeel Rajab — President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Director of the Gulf Center for Human Rights, FIDH Deputy Secretary General, and member of the Human Rights Watch’s Advisory Board… We believe that his arrest, interrogation and arbitrary detention in relation to an offending tweet are meant as a form of reprisal against Mr. Rajab for his recent advocacy on behalf of human rights in Bahrain. His advocacy recently included speaking before the Human Rights Subcommittee (DROI) of the European Parliament, and participating in the 27th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

In London a charity gala at the Savoy Hotel on Friday 24th October attended by Nasser bin Hamad Alkhalifa, was picketed by victims of Alkhalifa torture. They were protesting the presence of Nasser who was stripped earlier this month of diplomatic immunity in a legal case in which he is accused of torture. On Monday 27th The Times Newspaper gave coverage of the picket and the case against Nasser.

At least 40 native Bahrainis were arrested in the past week, including three children. This was a pre-emptive measure as the Ashura season approached. At the same time members of Death Squads raided the towns and villages of the native Bahrainis, removing the black cladding used to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain. This is yet another attack on the religious rights of the people by the tribal Alkhalifa rule. On 25th October, the family home of Martyr Mohammad Yaqoob in Sitra was raided and a member of the family was summoned to go to the torture chambers. This is the second attack in few days. Several youths were arrested from the neighbourhood. The town of Duraz was also raided and several of its youths arrested. Three of them are known athletes: Sayed Ali Moosa of Al Ittifaq Football Club, Sayed Hussain Majeed Abbas and Dhiyaa Slman, a member of Bahrain’s National Football Team. Zahra Al Sheikh, a mother of a six months baby was arrested as she went to visit her detained husband at one of the torture centres. She had repeatedly been detained, tortured and abused. Photojournalist, Ammar Abdul Rasool, was sentenced yesterday to two years in jail for shooting images of repression.